Air Force glad to land in Texas and face Power 5 Louisville
By Art Garcia
Playing a Power Five team in a bowl was important for Air Force. So much so that athletic director Nathan Pine lobbied the Mountain West Conference on behalf of his Falcons.
Air Force finished the regular season 9-3, and tied eventual league champ Utah State for the Mountain Division title. The Academy’s strong following nationally, and especially in Texas, was also stressed to the MW office.
The pitch paid off on all fronts. Air Force earned a bid to the 2021 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl against the Louisville Cardinals out of the ACC. The 12th edition of the bowl is Dec. 28 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, with kickoff is set for 2:15 p.m. CT on ESPN.
“What a remarkable opportunity for us to go play against an outstanding opponent in Louisville and truly have an opportunity to cap off what’s been one heck of a season for us,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “We’re delighted to be a part of this bowl. We’re going to make it work and we’re going to have a prepared football team.”
In addition to preparation, the Falcons are remarkably proficient on both sides of the ball. Air Force leads the nation in rushing, averaging 341.6 yards per game, and outrushed all 12 opponents. The Falcons topped the 400-yard mark five times, including the last two games. Air Force closed out the regular season with a 511-yard effort against UNLV and didn’t throw a pass in the game for the first time since 2012.
The defense allowed only 288 total yards per game to rank among the top five nationally. Air Force is third in the MW and 16th nationally in scoring defense (19.1). The Falcons held 13 of the last 15 opponents to 21 points or less.
Air Force’s defense will be put to the test by Louisville and dynamic quarterback Malik Cunningham. The junior signal-caller accounted for more than 3,700 total yards, along with 18 passing touchdowns and 19 more on the ground. The Cardinals averaged 31.9 points per game.
The Cardinals defense has given up an average of 156.7 yards rushing and 401.8 yards overall per game this season.
Louisville (6-6) is in bowl for the 19th time in the last 24 years, and making a third postseason trip under coach Scott Satterfield. Air Force is going bowling for the 28th time, with 11 coming under Calhoun.
The two programs, in the First Responder Bowl for the first time, have never faced off before. Air Force did play in the Dallas-Fort Worth area earlier this season against, falling to Army at Arlington’s Globe Life Field.
“We are looking forward to returning to the Metroplex for our bowl game and a chance to take on Louisville,” Pine said. “Texas continues to be an important state for our program in terms of recruiting and also for our Academy because of the large number of alumni and service members in the region. We will look forward to spending the holidays in Texas as we continue to raise the national profile of Air Force.”